What is FAT Friday?

Hi bscott:

I found several different "FAT Fridays" out there. However, given the
way you capitalized the term, I think the Friday After Thanksgiving is
the one you are looking for:

some words to not
URL: http://web.media.mit.edu/~guy/blog/entry.php?26110401
Quote: "today is f.a.t, friday after thanksgiving, 'fat friday',
'black friday' (not because it's gloomy but because you get your books
back into the black), 'day after thanksgiving', etc. in short, the
biggest shopping day of the year in the u.s."

Metroplex Animal Coalition
URL: http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.com/images/fatfriday/fatfriday_intro.htm
Quote: "On the Friday after Thanksgiving, 2004, LegaLink supported a
first-ever charitable event organized by Dallas Association of Young
Lawyers and Lexee's Legacy animal rescue group, as well as volunteers
from different organizations in the city, including MAC."

Museum invites chain reactions
URL: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2000/fat-1115.html
Quote: "The MIT Museum invites everyone to skip the mall on the day
after Thanksgiving and take part in the museum's annual F.A.T. (Friday
After Thanksgiving) Science Chain Reaction."

Here are some other uses of the phrase I found: 

[A day with big surf...]
Fat Friday Photo Gallery
URL: http://www.santabarbarasurfing.com/pix/fri30/

[A newsletter for lawyers...]
Technolawyer
URL: http://www.technolawyer.com/fatfriday.asp

[The Friday before Mardi Gras...]
Fat Friday 2004
URL: http://www.makennafoundation.org/fatfriday2004.htm

Search Strategy (on Google):
* "fat friday"
* "fat friday" thanksgiving
* "friday after thanksgiving"

I hope this helps.

websearcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by bscott-ga on 17 May 2005 10:15 PDT

I didn't think it would be that wide.  I'm actually wondering in terms
of a catholic festival held in May.   As opposed to Fat Tuesday - the
start of Mardi Gras - does this Fat Friday have anything to do with
something similar to that?

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Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 17 May 2005 11:33 PDT

Hi bscott:

"Fat Friday" is also used to refer to the last Friday before the start of lent. 

February 25, 2004 to March 3, 2004
URL: http://webdb.iu.edu/InternationalServices/scripts/ois/record.cfm?id=619
Quote: "This week's Coffee Hour will be hosted by the International
and American Student Association (IASA). Come celebrate 'Fat Friday'
with IASA as they prepare for Lent (Ash Wednesday) by emptying their
pantry of fats, eggs, and dairy and feasting on large amounts of
pancakes!"

Carnevale
URL: http://www.towerofbabel.com/sections/ourmaninhavana/ourwomaninitaly/marialamkin/carnevale/englishversion/
Quote: "As elsewhere, at Francavilla a Mare parades of floats dominate
the scene; another type of celebration takes place at Offida, in the
province of Ascoli Piceno (where on 'fat Friday' a bullfight takes
place between a fake bull and the local populace; in its turn, 'fat
Tuesday' celebrates the end of Carnival with a fire festival)."

Diocesan News
URL: http://cdom.org/wtc/wtc_archives/wtc012402/wtc_pages/diocesan_news.html
Quote: "Just for fun before Lent begins, the Diocese of Memphis NFP
(Natural Family Planning) Council will host a 'Fat Friday Family Pot
Luck Feast' on Fri., Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Ann Church Family Life
Center, located at 6529 Stage Road in Bartlett."

Of course, since Lent/Easter is at a different time each year, Fat
Friday will fall at different times as well.

websearcher

I'm Catholic.  I've never heard of fat Friday.